If Andy Fayash III wants to join his father as a track champion at Big Diamond Speedway, he’ll need a clean night of racing on Friday as the Crazy 8s return for the Savage 61 roadrunner division.
The Crazy 8 format is four, eight-lap, full-point features for the full-fender division in which handicapping will be used. There are no heat races for the roadrunners on Friday.
The gates on Friday open at 5:30 with hot laps at 7:45 and racing gets underway at 8: 15. General admission is $15; seniors, $13 and kids 12-and-under along with active military with a valid ID are free.
Fayash’s father won the 1984 slide stock championship; he also went on to win track titles in the street stocks, pro trucks and sportsman divisions.
Fayash III who won last week’s roadrunner feature, his second of the year, leads Kody Sites by 47 points heading into Friday night.
“This race, the Crazy 8s is marked on every roadrunner calendar,” Fayash III said. “I’m hoping to survive the night more than looking at grabbing a win, not that I’m not going to try and do so, but, with the four features being full points, it can change the point standings.”
Also in action on Friday night will be the CJ’s Tire & Automotive Services 358 modifieds and the U.S.S. Achey sportsman.
Ryan Godown leads the 358 modified points by 86 points over Jeff Strunk while Tim Fitzpatrick leads the sportsman standings by 63 markers over Brandon Grosso.
Craig VonDohren celebrated a milestone in his career last week in scoring the 25-lap, 358-modified feature win. It was his 300th win of his career as his first-ever modified win came in a sportsman feature at the speedway in 1980.
Friday’s racing program is being sponsored by Blyth’s Cleaning Services Night, of Pine Grove. They are in their eighth year of business and were voted the best cleaning service in Schuylkill County in the Republican-Herald 2016 readers’ choice
Blyth’s Cleaning Service, owned by Ian Blyth, handles commercial and residential cleaning while serving most of central and northeastern Pennsylvania.
“After meeting Jake through our cleaning service, he asked me if I had ever seen a race,” Blyth said. “I had not seen a dirt track race and I went there and just the engines getting fired up got me pretty excited; so I sponsored a night last year. This kind of racing is something that you can’t tell someone what it’s like, they have to experience it. I’ll be doing this every year, I’m hooked.”
In light of the situations unfolding in our country today, Blyth has graciously donated his box for this Friday to the members of the Minersville Police Department.
When the street stocks return on Friday, July 22, a helmet drive will take place for injured sprint car driver Jake Waters.
Last week’s apparent street stock Greg Diehl stated in victory lane that he was going to donate his winning to Waters’. However, a post-race technical infraction disqualified him from the event.
In light of the situation, the speedway along with Jasen’s Automotive will partner to match whatever amount is collected next Friday.
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